Fishing license; application

If you want to go fishing in Bavaria, you must have a valid fishing license and, as a rule, a valid permit with you and hand these over to the supervisors for inspection on request.

The fishing license for adults is issued as a lifetime fishing license. Young people who have reached the age of 14 and have successfully passed the fishing examination also receive a fishing license for life.

All children and young people between the ages of seven and 17 are permitted to fish themselves if accompanied by an adult fishing license holder (Art. 47 Para. 2 Sentence 1 BayFiG). The accompanying person is responsible for compliance with all legal requirements, in particular for animal welfare. Young people do not have to pay a fishing tax. As before, a separate permission under civil law is still required from the underage fisherman to fish in the specific body of water (e.g. a permit, "fishing license").

Special regulations apply to severely disabled persons under certain conditions.

Anyone who is only staying in Germany temporarily and does not have a residence here (e.g. tourist) can also apply for a fishing license without prior examination.

Anyone wishing to fish in Bavaria requires a fishing license and must pay a fishing tax.

Anyone wishing to obtain a fishing license must generally have successfully passed the fishing examination in Bavaria. The fishing examination taken in another state of the Federal Republic of Germany is recognized under certain conditions (ask the municipality; see also "Equivalent examinations" under further links). The same applies to exemptions for severe mental or physical disabilities and for exemptions for the presentation of examination certificates and fishing licenses from other German states.

You can apply for a fishing license with unlimited validity (lifetime fishing license). If you only pay the fishing tax for five years, you may only fish during this period.

The fishing license for tourists (persons of legal age without residence in Germany and without proof of the fishing examination) is valid for a maximum of three months per year (annual fishing license).

• Application for a fishing license (file format: pdf)

  You can apply for a lifetime fishing license or an annual fishing license.

The costs are made up of the fishing fee and the fishing levy (see under "Related topics" - "Fishing levy; payment").

Fishing fee:

• Fishing license for life: € 35.00
• Annual fishing license for tourists: € 7.50

• Bavarian Fisheries Act (BayFiG)
• Ordinance on the Implementation of the Bavarian Fisheries Act (AVBayFiG)
• Administrative regulations on the enforcement of fisheries law provisions (VwVFiR)

• Equivalent fishing examinations outside Bavaria